The Cuts of Life
by The Hogwart's High Inquisitors
Summary: please read! The summary is bad 'Much Better, Hermione thought to herself sitting in her dorm room. It was after the Halloween feast and Hermione was sitting on her bed with a razor to her wrist and blood dripping onto her sheet. She looked down at the ne
1. The First Cut

**I don't own any of these characters, but man if I did would I be rich and famous. Owner and writer of a book like this wow that would rock!**

The First Cut

_Much Better, _Hermione thought to herself sitting in her dorm room. It was after the Halloween feast and Hermione was sitting on her bed with a razor to her wrist and blood dripping onto her sheet. She could feel the pain of that day leaving her the minute the cut was made in her skin. She pulled the razor away from her arm and placed it on her over turned bedside bureau. She looked down at the neatly craved line running across her wrist and everything bad that happened that day came flooding back…

"Hermione, get over it! We slept together, big deal. It was just a one time thing!" Ron said while pulling his shirt over his head.

"_You said you loved me! That doesn't just go away in a blink of an eye!" Hermione said confused. _

"_Hermione, I said it in the heat of the moment. What do you expect?" Ron said getting off Hermione's bed. _

"_I told you l love you and I meant it and you go ahead and lie to me about loving me back! Ron, you just can't go around messing with peoples emotions!" Hermione said angrily. _

_Hermione was crying now! She was up and walking over to Ron, who was looking the other way as if he had no interest in what she was saying. Hermione just stood there looking at the back of his head. She felt torn and hurt; the love of her life just used her for a one- nightstand! It was too much! Hermione grabbed her clothes and headed to the bathroom to change. _

_When she came out Ron was nowhere to be seen. She knew where he was, though. He was down in the Great Hall enjoying the Halloween feast with his and her friends. And that is where she should be. So she grabbed her black cloak and headed to the Great Hall. _

_When she entered the Great Hall she heard all sorts of chatter and when she looked up at the ceiling she saw hundreds of candles and behind them was a starry sky. She looked back down at the people talking and laughing and having a great time. Just an hour ago Ron and her were having a great time of their own and now she felt dirty and disgusted with herself. But when she found Ron and Harry pointing and looking at her she felt like making herself pay for what she had done. _

_Hermione turned around and headed back to her dorm. She stormed up the stairs and ran through the portrait and up to her room. When she was in her room she slammed the door and ran toward her desk on the right side of room. She threw everything off her desk; papers flew in all directions, books and quills started to litter the floor. Hermione then pulled out all the draws and threw them to the floor where they spilt in half. She tore off all the pictures from her wall and ripped the pages of her diary. She pushed her bedside bureau over and all the contents fell out… Notebooks, muggle pictures, some personal items, a razor used for opening boxes, Her wand._

_Hermione stopped and looked down at the razor. The bland was sharp and looked like it could cut through anything. She never knew what made her do it, but she walked over to the over turned bureau and picked up the razor. She looked at it and sat down on her bed. Hatred came over her, a hatred for herself! Hermione slowly put the bland to her wrist and cut. The pain felt good to her; she knew she deserved it! _

Hermione looked down at the neatly craved line running across her wrist and felt a little better. Hermione then picked up her wand and murmured a spell to make the cut stop bleeding. The cut was still visible and she was going to keep it that way. She looked down at her sheets and saw the blood.

"Shit!" Hermione said to herself.

Hermione quickly vanished the blood and laid down her bed. She stared up at the ceiling a while before falling to sleep. While she slept she dreamt…

She was walking down a disserted corridor. Invisible wind blew papers down the hall. And at the end of the corridor Hermione could see Harry, Ron, and Ginny. She tried to go to them but every time she got a little closer they got a little farther, until they disappeared altogether. She was alone.


	2. Dreams Alike

Dreams Alike 

Hermione woke with a start, with the dream still fresh in her mind. She quickly got up and looked for her alarm clock under all the rubble made the night before. When she finally found it it read 4:30. It was too early to go to breakfast so she decided to clean the mess she made.

When she, at last, finished the time was 5 o'clock. She got on her uniform and then went to her, now correctly standing, bureau and grabbed her wand. When she picked up her wand she caught a glimpse of her razor; it had dry blood on the blade. Hermione stared at it for the longest time before picking it up and pocketing it.

Hermione walked into the Great Hall feeling out of place. It was different now that she knew that she couldn't trust anyone, even her own friends anymore. Hermione looked around the Gryffindor table for an empty area to sit. The only place she could see was the area closest to the High Table, which the professors sat at. She gradually walked to the seat she picked out and sat down, unaware that someone was closely watching her.

It took all the effort she had to pull a plate of pancakes toward her. She didn't really feel like eating though she was hungry, but she knew that if she didn't then she wouldn't be able to work. So she ate a few bits of her pancake and then pushed it aside. She got up and started toward the door of the Great Hall when she caught a sight of Ron and Harry. They were walking toward her without really noticing. They were to absorbed in what they were talking about that they didn't notice her until they were about 10 feet away. When they finally did see her, Harry's face broke into a very malicious smile. And has they passed each other Harry did something unexpected and very nasty.

"_Oh, Ron! Yes" _Harry moaned in a very Hermione-ish way. The two walked away laughing leaving Hermione ashamed and hurt. Tears ran down her pale face and it felt like she couldn't breathe.

Hermione then, after some minutes of just standing in the doorway of the Great Hall, slowly walked out the door and when she was out of sight and earshot of everyone eating breakfast she ran crying to the girls bathroom. She ran into a stall and locked the door behind her. She sat down on the seat and pulled out her razor. She stared at it through the blurriness of her tears. Then finally she placed the razor to her wrist and cut.

So far Hermione's potion was going ok. It was boiling at the right temperature and it was the right shade of blue. Now she had to add the Fluxweed. She reached over her cauldron and the sleeve of her robe was pulled up; on her lower wrist was two parallel cuts, both looking new and painful. Hermione looked down at the cuts and quickly pulled her sleeve down hoping no one saw. But someone did see. It was the same person who was watching her in the Great Hall at breakfast.

Draco was sitting in potions watching Hermione Granger make her potion when the sleeve of her robe was pulled up and two neatly sliced cuts was reveled. Draco's eyes grew large with shock. Then Hermione pulled her sleeve down and started looking around seeing if anyone saw. Draco rapidly turned his head. He saw the cuts she made and he saw what Harry and Ron did to her in the Great Hall. Even though he didn't really like Hermione he thought that what Harry and Ron did was wrong and he would never do something that low.

Draco looked over at Hermione again and saw that she had her face in her hands. He had a feeling that she was crying. His theory was proven true when Hermione lifted her face from her hands and there was tears running down her face. Draco looked away; he could feel his face going hot red from the urge to cry. He couldn't help it. He hated to see people cry. It makes him want to cry too.

The bell sounded and everyone grabbed there bags and ran out the door. Hermione wiped her tears from her face and picked up her bag and threw it onto her shoulder. Looked around the room to where Ron and Harry sit. She wanted them back so badly. She needed them. But they didn't want her no one did. Hermione walked out the door and, instead of going to her next class, she headed for her bedroom. She needed to get away for a while because she was alone just like in her dream.


	3. Haunted

**I do not own any of these characters or lyrics!**

**Haunted by Evanescence (written by Ben Moody/ Amy Lee/ D. Hodges (BMI)**

Haunted

" '_Long lost words whisper slowly to me/ still can't find what keeps me here/ when all this time I've been so hollow inside/ I know you're still there/ Watching me, wanting me/ I can feel you pull me down/ Fearing you, loving you/ I won't let you pull me down/ Hunting you I can smell you- alive/ your heart pounding in my head/ Watching me, wanting me/ I can feel you pull me down/ Saving me, raping me/ Watching me/_

Guitar solo 

_Ahhhhh ahhhhhh/ Feel you pull me down/ ahhhhh ahhhh/ I won't let you pull me down.'"_

Hermione was laying on her bed while blasting Evanescence on her enchanted radio. Hermione, being the smartest girl in school, was able to enchant her radio to listen to music because everyone in school knows or should know if they read Hogwarts A History that you can't use muggle technology on school grounds. But Hermione was too much in a depressed mood to really care about the rules. Music always had a calming effect on her and that's what she was looking for.

It was already 5 in the after noon and still Hermione didn't feeling like getting out of her room. Leaving her room meant going into a world where she was an outcast and where there was no Evanescence to sooth her, but she had to leave eventually. She sat up and looked down at her radio, which was now playing "Hello." This song always made her cry, but her tears were all used up from crying earlier that morning. Hermione just looked out the window beyond her bed and grimaced. She didn't want to leave the safety of her room to go out into the world, but Hermione wasn't going to give up that easily.

Hermione pushed herself off her bed and grabbed her cloak and slipped it on. She then proceeded down the to the common room and out the portrait hole. She walked at a steady pace towards the Great Hall. Everyone was already seated and eating merrily amongst themselves. She felt strangely uncomfortable walking into the Great Hall toward the Gryffindor table, though she had done it many times before without thinking to much into it. This time was different. She had no best friends to call upon and that was the strange part. The uncomfortable part was Ron and Harry's behavior towards her. It was completely barbaric in a Draco Malfoy kind of way, but she ignored them and everyone else in the Great Hall.

She took a seat at the end of the Gryffindor table and pulled a plate toward her and filled it with chicken and stuffing. She kept her eyes on her plate and away from every ones gaze. She had an uneasy feeling that she was being watched. And once again the watcher was none other than Draco Malfoy. He watched her eat quietly away from her ex-friends, who, at that moment, was laughing at something funny that was just said by Harry. He had a disgusted feeling that it was something about Hermione and this something wasn't a nice something. He watched scenes unfold with his own eyes; Ron looking over at Hermione and nodding toward her for Harry to look and then Ron picking up a small piece of chicken and throwing it at Hermione who pretended that nothing out of the ordinary just happened, which made Draco want to get up and defend her for she just sat there and took it.

But Hermione just sat as still has possible after she felt the piece of chicken hit her. She didn't want them to have the pleasure of seeing her get upset. She slowly started to regret coming down at all. She just wished she listened to her inner voice instead of trying to be brave. However, the little courage that she had before she came to dinner had long been gone and was now replaced with despair and apprehension. She pushed her food aside and stood up to leave when someone caught her eye. Draco was watching her and he had an expression of great remorse and anger on his face.

Hermione stared into Draco's eyes and then saw that his eyes were now looking at Ron and Harry with great disgust. Hermione looked back at Draco and he gave her a weak smile and she could have sworn that he had tears in his eyes, but she couldn't tell with the bad lighting in the room. Hermione didn't linger to long with Ron and Harry just a couple feet away and her being the perfect target for food throwing. She walked out of the Great Hall and headed for the Gryffindor common room.

When she finally reached the common room and had headed up the stairs to her room she found a barn owl poking its beak up against her bedroom window with a letter attached to its leg. Hermione looked at the owl with a happy and puzzled expression on her face. She never thought in a million years that she would ever get a letter ever again, but then a thought occurred to her. That the only way she would get a letter from somebody is if that somebody was her parents. And the little flame of hope that ignited in her soul died out. She should have known that it wasn't an apology from Harry or Ron, how could she have been so stupid.

Hermione opened her window and the owl flew in and landed on her shoulder. The owl craned its leg out for Hermione to take the letter. Once the letter was off the owl's leg it flew off out the window and into the darken sky. Hermione opened the letter and sat on her bed reading. It wasn't from her parents nor was it from Hagrid or even Harry or Ron. The handwriting was unknown to Hermione's eyes, but she knew of whom it was from and it wasn't because his signature was neatly written at the bottom. It was from Draco and the letter read:

_Dear Hermione,_

_Meet me at the beech tree next to the lake tomorrow around noon. And bring your radio and some cds. I heard you were able enchanted your radio so you can play music. Brilliant! I think it is time for the two of us to get to know each other a little better. Don't you agree? Please come. _

Draco Malfoy 

Hermione read the letter over twice before accepting his offer. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain. But she was haunted by the thought of Harry and Ron. They would not approve of her meeting with their enemy, but they weren't her friends anymore so Hermione just shoved the thought aside and smiled down at her letter. Though Draco was once her enemy too, she had a sensation in her stomach that told her to trust in Draco. And for the first time in the past 2 days Hermione felt like she was her old happy self again.


	4. Much Like Falling

**I do own any of these characters. **

Much Like Falling

Hermione stared out at the crystal blue lake as she sat under the beech tree. It was 12 p.m. and the sun was shone brightly through the branches up above. In a fit of nerves she had got there a good 20 minutes before noon. Sitting there she waited for Draco to get there and while she waited Hermione wondered for the hundredth time why he wanted anything to do with her. Ever since she first started coming to Hogwarts Draco had shunned her and treated her like something lower than dirt.

She sighed, closed her eyes, and hummed to herself something she heard her mother sing when she was younger. The soothing melody made her drift slowly into dreamlike plane. She was under water looking up into the light. From below the waves she saw Harry, Ron, and Ginny laughing and having a good old time without her. In seemingly slow motion, she swam to the surface and join them, but a powerful force pulled her down. Down she went into the dark depths of the ocean and as she was dragged down she lost sight of her friends to the empty darkness below her. "Hermione?"

From the depths of her sleep Hermione is pulled out of her dream to wake and find Draco before her. Looking up at him as he leaned over her, she could see the shadows under his eyes and the perfect halo of blonde hair slicked back making him look like he was going on a date. Hermione watched in confusion, as he extended his hand in hopes of helping her up.

"No, I'm fine where i am. Been a long night and i didn't sleep very well." With a nervous smile, Draco shyly pulled his hand to his side and looked down at his feet. "You could have a sit next to me if you like." She patted the ground next to her, Hermione gave Draco an encouraging smile hoping to ease the awkward tension that was slowly building.

"Okay." And with that Draco sat next Hermione. Both wore awkward smiles and looked the other way, but for Hermione she felt strangely comforted by the fact that someone who she thought had always hated her was trying to make up for it, something so far her best friends hadn't done. Looking over at him she could see he was bit estrange as to what he was supposed to do. Smiling, Hermione gave Draco a friendly push.

"Hey what was that for?" Draco said looking at Hermione. Upon seeing the happy smile on her face, he blushed realizing she was just fooling around. "Sorry, I'm no use to playing around like that."

"It's okay. I never really did that with Harry and Ron, but i thought it might relieve tension so..." Looking at each other from the close proximity that they were sitting in made Hermione realize that Draco was very good looking. Never has she noticed his beautiful gray eyes and his lovely pale eye lashes. Staring at him, her heart began to melt. Quickly, she looked away with embarrassment trying to find something to distract her eyes with. She turned her gaze to her left where eyes fell upon her enchanted radio that she brought. "Do you want to listen to some music?" With that she grabbed her radio and brought it in between the two of them.

"I brought some Flyleaf, Evanescence, Avril Lavigne, or how about some Emilie Autumn, she's amazing." Looking over at Draco, Hermione waited for a response that didn't come. Draco seemed to be staring off into the distance in his own world struggling with his own demons. Looking at him she saw the stress lines near his mouth from constantly frowning and the worry lines above his eyes. In her chest she felt her heart clench for Draco. All of sudden it seemed Draco and herself were on the same page, a page that kept trying to turn on them and crush them both.

"We don't have to listen to anything if you don't want to." Hermione said feeling her own sorrow taking control and pulling her into deep blue. Staring at her fingers she urged herself not to cry, but the tears kept pushing forward like a flood and soon broke through and down her face.

From the depth of his daydream, Draco is pulled out by the sound of Hermione's crying. Looking over he saw her folding in on herself trying to hide from her pain. Without thinking, Draco got up and pushed himself close to her and put his arms around her in a protective hug. This only seemed to make her cry harder, but still Draco stayed by her side and held on tighter. Staring down at Hermione, he saw the beauty of this tiny, fragile Gryffindor who, even through her tears, had the most beautiful eyes he ever beheld. Ever so gently, Draco placed his head on her's and closed his eyes, listening to her breathe and slowly stop crying.

Across the lake, the sun shone brightly making the water sparkle as the wind pushed it to and fro. Pinks and purples play across the water like two lovers chasing each other. And as the colors slowly become one the sun was blocked out by a monstrous cloud. As this terrible cloud took over so did it start to rain with a fierceness that could only be described as god's sorrow. As the rain started to come down like watery missiles, Hermione and Draco broke apart, staring up at the sky.

"I love the rain." Hermione said smiling shyly at Draco.

"Yea, me too." Draco looked over at Hermione and felt his heart beat faster. Carefully, Draco moved closer to Hermione. Seeing this Hermione pulled in closer excepting his offer of a kiss when a pocket of water from above comes crashing down on them, soaking them to the bone.

"AHHHHH..." Both Hermione and Draco laughed as they sprang up and apart.

"Come on. Lets get out of this watery mess." Draco smiled and grabbed Hermione's hand. Together they ran out into the rain, running towards the school. As they reached the school front doors Draco turned and gave Hermione a soaked gentle kiss on her cheek before running into the building, leaving Hermione to blush in the rain.


	5. 4 O' Clock

**I don't own any of these characters. **

4 O' Clock

The pink skull watch on Hermione's bedside bureau slowly clicked away the seconds until it was 4 o' clock in the am. As the big hand finally landed on the 12 making it exactly 4 am Hermione eyes opened. Staring up at her ceiling she got the chilling feeling that something was wrong, like something was going to get her. Sitting up abruptly, she looked around her room for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. All was the same as it usually is, but still the feeling lingered.

Throwing her covers aside she stood up and peeked out her door. Everyone was in there beds dreaming happy dreams of home and tomorrow's breakfast. Shutting the door behind her, she stared at the gloom of her room and the desperation and sorrow that floated in the air on dust clouds. It always started this way. She would wake up at 4 o' clock on the dot every morning to the scariness and haunting sounds of her demons, real and make-believe, watching her in the shadows. The rest of the day would be filled with either deep sorrow or flaming hyper activeness that would burn up her energy. Already she felt herself floating down deep into a black abyss.

With shaky fingers she grabbed her cloak and fastened it around her middle before leaving her room. Walking soundlessly down the dormitory steps she made her way to the common room below. Empty. Seeing the flameless fireplace made her shiver in fear knowing there was nothing keeping the shadows from swallowing her whole. Breathing heavily she exited the common room in search for safer more lit place to hide, but the minute the portrait shut behind her she knew it was pointless. There was no place for her hide, no place the darkness wouldn't follow, no place she can escape from herself. Looking around at the dark empty corridor one last time she turned around and slumped back through the hole in the wall.

The sound of people talking and rushing out the common room portrait woke Hermione. Sitting up, Hermione looking around in confusion wondering how she ended up on the couch in the common room. Then everything that happened earlier that morning flooded back in along with the dark blue that was starting to become the norm for her. Sighing Hermione got up and headed up to the girls dormitory to get dressed.

Once she was all set and ready to leave she started for her door, but a thought stopped her from turning the door handle. Her razor. Should she bring it? Taking her hand off the handle of the door she plunged her right hand into her pocket to find her razor still nestled safe in her pocket. Gently she pulled it out and looked it over. It seemed to shine even though no amount of sun was slipping into her room. Dropping her bag off her shoulder, she took a step back and sat on her bed. Quickly she rolled up her sleeve and looked at her healed wounds from past couple of days. They looked angry but not angry enough to satisfy Hermione.

Steeling herself for the pain she cut with all the anger and sadness that ate at her everyday. Slash. The pain was barely noticeable, but by the amount of blood pouring from the wound it proved to be very deep, deeper than she's ever cut. Hermione stared down at the line that quickly became many tear drops dripping down her wrist into her hand and through her fingers. All she could do was watch in fascination.

Suddenly everything began to spin. The room became disproportionate and lopsided and she could feel the world tilt. Hermione tried to keep from falling but she fell forward landing hard on her hands and knees. She felt her heart beating in her head and her breath struggling to get free. She needed to stop her cut from bleeding out any further or she was going to pass out or possibly die. When she realized this she sluggishly searched for her wand. She felt it in her pocket. Pulling it out she struggled to think of the right spell. Finally she found it and held on to it in her head and on the tip of her tongue until the words rolled off her lips as she uttered the incantation. With her blurry vision she saw the wound close up to a neat little line, but still she felt herself falling... Falling into darkness.

Her eyes opened to find herself on the floor looking directly at a small pool of blood. Following the pain she felt in arm, she looked at the damaged she'd caused. A now neat, but bloody line ran from the left side of her wrist to the right side of her upper forearm. It looked beyond angry just like she was aiming for. A smile takes over Hermione's pale, sweat drenched face as she looked over her work of art. Staring at her arm she realized that light was shining through the window on to her hand at a very high angle. With a shutter she sits up to fast and makes the world spin again. Closing her eyes she breathes deeply, letting herself relax.

Slowly Hermione opens her eyes to find the world standing still. Carefully she raises her undamaged right hand to look at the time and gasps in surprise, though knowing already what time it was by the height of the sun. It was noon. 12:40 to be exact and she missed two of her classes and lunch. With knobby knees, Hermione stands herself up trying not to let the dizziness take over. Standing up straight, she suddenly feels the urge to be violently ill and quickly sits on her bed before putting her head between her legs.

10 minutes pass before Hermione is able to get up from her bed. After testing to see if she could walk properly she heads out the door, bag over her shoulder, wand in pocket and razor safely tucked away in the depths of her cloak.

"Okay, I need everyone to carefully, and mean carefully Mister Longbottom, to cut up their Flexweed. Collect every last drop of juice that comes out and pour it into your cauldron. Make sure that once you pour your flexweed juices into your cauldron to start mixing it counterclockwise for 47 turns. No more, no less." Professor Snape takes a seat at his desk and pulls out a book from the inside his desk. "Now i want to see everyone's finished produce when class ends. You have 28 minutes."

Hermione's hands shake as she cuts up her flexweed. Pouring her flexweed juices into her cauldron, her heart pounds with the laboring deed of raising her arms. With the flick of her wand she sends her stirrer circling counterclockwise. Dropping her wand on her desk she looks at the rest of the classes doing their work before putting her head in her arms.

Across the potion classroom, Draco stirs his potion with all the excitement of watching a documentary on snails. Looking at his watch on his wrist he sees they still had 20 minutes of class left. Sighing, he looks over at Hermione and sees her hiding her head in her arms. Placing his chin on in his hands he stares at her hoping for her to feel his eyes on her and look over. Nothing. She didn't move an inch. Turing back to his cauldron he finishes his potion and waits for class to end. Hermione dreams.

_The room is dark. Slowly Hermione makes her way through the darkness, her foot steps echoing in the darkness. As she continues moving forward light starts filtering through the ceiling. Small spotlights pinpointed things in the darkness. As the lights becomes brighter, she could see what they illuminated. Mannequins... Frost bitten white with blank faces, positioned in odd poses. The pain in her head and her heart intensified as she walked up to one. Getting up close, Hermione takes a closer look at one of these haunting figures. With her face inches from the mannequin's Hermione stares it down. With abrupt angled movements the mannequin tills it's head to the side and looks at Hermione. Jumping back, Hermione backs away as over a hundred mannequins turn to look at her. The only sound to be heard throughout the warehouse was her labored breathing. And then... They jumped._

"Time is up! Every put your wands down and fill your potion bottles up and bring them to my desk." Snape whispers loudly.

Hermione lifts her head out of the crook of her arm and looks around the room in a daze. Her face is once again soaked in sweat and is pale as fresh snow. Looking up at the line forming before Snape desk she sees everything tilt for a second before becoming right again. Taking a deep but shaking breath, Hermione fills her potions bottle and slowly stands. Once the room rights itself, she takes a place in line in front of 10 others, 3 of them being Draco, Harry, and Ron.

From behind Seamus, Draco waits to give Professor Snape his work. As he stares ahead he notices Hermione 3 people ahead of him. As he watches her, he sees her swaying on unsteady feet. Biting his lip, Draco walks out of line and up to Hermione.

"Hermione! You okay?" Draco says concerned. Looking at Hermione, Draco could see there was something wrong. Putting his arms around her he helps hold her up.

"Thanks." Hermione whispered breathlessly. As Draco helped Hermione up to the front of the desk, they both could hear Harry and Ron talking behind them. As they became the third in line from Snape desk, both Harry and Ron came pushing up to them.

"What do you think you are doing with her?" Ron demanded. Grabbing Draco by the arm, Ron pulled him away from Hermione while Harry pushed Hermione behind them and got in Draco's face. "She doesn't want your filthy Sytherin hands on her!"

"Ron, Harry stop! Leave him alone." Hermione tries to explain but is ignored. Breathing getting worse Hermione backs up into a desk to keep her balance. Draco watches concerned unable to do anything.

"Don't you see there is something wrong with her? She needs to be taken to the infirmary." Draco tries to get through the two but is pushed back.

"Ron! Harry!" Hermione says weakly. "Please stop this." Neither of them seem to notice her as they move in on Draco who just looks back at Hermione with scared eyes. Anger infiltrates Hermione's mind and adrenaline flows into her veins. With all the strength Hermione could muster she pushes through her two ex-best friends and turns to them with anger in her eyes.

"Leave him and me the fuck alone!" Hermione yells in their shocked faces. "You have no god damn right to interfere in my life when you are the ones who fucking ruined it! So back the fuck up." With that Hermione pushes them both back.

"You little bitc-" Ron starts to say.

"YOU of all people have no right even look at me let alone tell me who to befriend. He has shown more friendship and compassion in one day then you ever have in the 4 years that i've known you. You both are worthless pieces of shit and i never want to see you again." Tears spilled down Hermione eyes as finished her rant. Everyone looked at her with both shocked and impressed faces.

"Are you quite done, Miss Granger?" Snape says from across room. As she looked around at Snape across the room she felt everything tilt and become unfocused. Her whole body became numb and her knees gave out and everything went black.


	6. Chester The Rat

**I don't any of these characters!**

Chester The Rat

Alone Hermione sits with her blankets tightly bond around her in hopes to keep herself from falling apart. In her room, she stares out her window at the darkened grounds of Hogwarts thinking of everything that has led her to this moment. The betrayal, the cutting, the near death experience and then... But she won't think about it, won't even believe it real. Looking away from her windows, she turns her back on her thoughts and breathes a sigh-like cry.

"You know, there is no need to cry" A gruff voice says from the darkness. With wide eyes Hermione stares into the dark corner trying to see the owner of the voice, but can see nothing. Pushing her blankets aside, Hermione moves to the edge of her bed, staring intently at the spot where she heard the voice.

"Who's there?" Hermione breathlessly utters as tears drops slide down Hermione's face.

"Dear Hermione." Jumping, Hermione looks to the other side of the room for the voice has moved. "Why do you cry? You know that I am here for you."

"I don't know who 'you' are." Hermione says slowly moving toward her bed side bureau which her wand lies upon.

"Oh but you do. Don't you remember me Hermione?" As the words leave her dark corner and come closer, a very abnormally large rat jumps on her bed. The breath catches in Hermione's chest as she looks at the rat. The rat with his brown fur and long worm-like tail and black eyes stare into Hermione's scared brown eyes. A dream or maybe a memory surfaces into Hermione mind of a talking rat when she was younger. Pushing it away she grabs her wand and points it at the rat with all her anger possessing her.

"Your not real!" Hermione casts a spell sends the rat flying into the wall. With a thud it hits the floor and lays still. Breathing heavily Hermione crawls to the edge of bed to get a closer look at mysterious rat. Its stomach moves up and down with his breathing but the rat doesn't get up or even attempt to. She's knocked it out.

Looking away in guilt, Hermione thinks that maybe the rat is, in fact, real and she just hurt the poor thing. Getting up from the perch on her bed, she moves toward the rat, but when she looks over at him he's gone.

"Hello?" Hermione looks around room desperately trying to prove the rat was real, but finds nothing. Dropping onto her bed, Hermione throws the pillow over her head and falls into a restless sleep.

It is only the 3rd class of the day and already Hermione is feeling tired. Sitting in her transfiguration class, Hermione dozes off and on into sleep failing to keep her eyes open. Giving herself a little pinch, she tries to keep herself from going back under. Across the room, Harry and Ron stare are Hermione with curious eyes.

"She looks like she is about to fall asleep! Hermione, Falling asleep in class? Can you bloody believe it?" Ron says in an angry whisper. "I bet you she is screwing him."

"Who?" Harry says being pulled out of his thoughts. Looking Ron over, Harry can see anger written all over his face, but also an underlining sense of hurt. "What are you talking about?"

"Draco, that's who." Ron says spiting his name out. "I bet you he is screwing her, that is why she is so tired and and... so not herself lately. She's to busy being a little slut." Hands clenched into fists, Ron looks down at his paper trying to control is rage.

"Calm down, You don't know that for sure." Harry tries to reassure him. Turning his gaze away from Ron, Harry looks over at Hermione and finds her staring, with a look of wild terror on her face, at the empty desk to the left of her. Harry watches her as her eyes dart back and forth between the empty desk and her shaking hands. Then Hermione throws her hands over her ears and shaking her head.

"STOP IT!" Hermione screams standing up and knocking her chair over before running out of the room. The class stares on unable to move or say anything out of shock.

"Chester make it stop please it is to much for me to bare." Hermione is in the girls lavatory, pacing back and forth talking to Chester the large brown from the night before.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I have not the power nor the say in what your going through. I'm sorry." Backing against the stall door, Hermione slides to floor, tears falling uncontrollably. Chester moves closer to Hermione trying to comfort her. Cuddling up to Hermione, Chester looks up to Hermione with wise eyes. "I'm always here for you Hermione. Whenever you need me just say my name out loud and I will be there in a second."

"Promise?" Hermione says petting the top of Chester's head.

"I promise." Chester says falling asleep in the crook of her arm. As Hermione continues to pet the head of her furry friend, she herself starts to drift off to sleep. The dreams came fast and furious as she slept on the bathroom floor.

_The Transfiguration class room is empty and dark expect for Hermione sitting in her desk. In terror Hermione looks over work trying to understand it but instead of seeing casting directions she only sees words scribbled in blood all over her paper. THEY'RE AFTER YOU! THEY'RE AFTER YOU! RUN! RUN! Looking up in panic, Hermione searches for help. Turning to her right sees someone sitting in the seat next to her. "Help." Hermione cries, but the boy doesn't turn. At first. Slowly his head turns with ridge abrupt movements. As he sets eyes on her, Hermione's heart clenches in terror. The boy's face is missing, yet his eyes, which are all white, are still intact and staring. The boy tries to talk but blood and guts just spill from his open mouth. Hermione tries to get up but it is as if she is stuck to her chair. Panicking, Hermione starts to cry and hyperventilate. With difficulty the boy lifts up is arm and reaches to touch Hermione. His hand gets closer and closer... Unable to move, she closes her eyes and wait for the boy to make contact. Nothing. Taking a peak she sees... The boys face 2 inches away from her face._

Hermione wakes up screaming, covered in sweat. In a panicked manic state Hermione grabs her bag, pulls out her razor and goes into a stall, and locks the door behind her.


	7. Hysteria

**I don't own any of these bad ass characters, except for Chester the talking Rat. He is all mine. No touchy. **

Hysteria

Curled up in the corner of her bedroom Hermione, cowers in fear. She feels them coming. Wanting to hurt, torture and kill her. The demons with there white eyes and bloody tortured faces. Eyes closed she prays they will disperse and leave her alone, but she knew they wouldn't for they haven't left since they first showed in transfiguration class in November. Now it's late december and everyone has left for Christmas vacation making Hermione one of the few left behind. Hermione and her demons.

Wiping the tears from her drenched face, Hermione peeks to see if they have finally left her for the night. Eyes focusing in on the darkness, she sees things begin to take shape. Hermione's breathing becomes shallow again looking over her disfigured room. Dark red blood drips from the walls and on her bed lies a corpse being slowly ripped apart by two ropes tied tightly to the victims wrists. From the spot on the floor you could clearly see his bones and veins being pulled, stretched, and ripped. His blank lifeless eyes shine in the moon light. Willing herself to get up, Hermione carefully tip toes to her door, praying that the other demons won't see her. Turning the door handle, one of the demons across the room takes notice of her escaping. With broken fingers the corpse reaches out to grab her but Hermione runs out the door and is down the dormitory stairs in a matter of seconds.

Running through the corridors of Hogwarts, Hermione tries desperately to keep her eyes away from the tortured bodies hanging from ropes tired to the ceiling. The halls are filled with torturers and demonic beings killing and maiming trying to pull Hermione into there bloody surgeon hands. Seeing a staircase leading away from the hellish hallway, she runs for her escape, but a corpse stands in her way banishing a long thin knife covered in fresh blood. He smiles, with eye-lidless eyes. Gasping in panic, Hermione backs into a group of hanging corpses and screaming runs down the stairs barely avoiding the corpse guarding the stairs.

Wandering through the empty halls of the dungeon, Hermione reaches her destination she unconsciously chose to go. The Slytherin common room. Touching the secret entrance of the common room, she utters the password in a breathless whisper. "Pure-Blood."

The tapestry pushes to the side revealing a door. Quickly and without looking back, Hermione pushes through the door and stops in the strange room colored in silver and green and...red. Blood red. Death covers the walls here too. Taking in this room of hell, Hermione looks for the entrance to the boy's dormitory. To the left and to the right lies stairs leading up into the lair of both Slytherin girls and boys. But which one to take. On a whim, Hermione takes the stairs to the left.

Atop the stairs everything starts to spin. In circles, in twists, in a never-ending vortex of reds and blacks. Disoriented, Hermione staggers to Draco's door. The door handle in Hermione's hand feels of fire and the hit emanating from his room is uncomfortably hot. Without anymore hesitation, she turns the handle and enters. Horror! Out of all the rooms, out of all the hells she's witnessed in the past months this, this was of the worst.

The walls were coated in a thick layer of skin, bone, and blood. Body parts were crudely nailed to the ceiling, swaying and dripping has they hang low over Hermione's head. In the center of the room stood a bed covered in netting. A shadow of person lies in the bed, but you couldn't tell if he was alive or... not. Legs shaking, breathing troubled, hysteria breaking, Hermione makes a slow path toward the bed. It isn't until she is at the bed reaching for the netting does she notice the dark figure in the corner. He stands feet above her head, dark and menacing with the look of pure malice slit across his face. With monstrous steps, he comes closer baring down on Hermione with a veiling of unbelievable power.

"Your time is up Hermione." A deep voice that could have only come from the this giant demon sinks in. Up close he's a devil looking creature, but instead of a horned human head he had the head of a ram. "It's time to die!" He's whispers before yanking open the netting to Draco's bed. There Draco lays dead. His eyes sockets were empty, exposing the brain matter behind it with dried blood covering the rest of his face, making it almost unrecognizable. But it was him. Draco. Dead. With an high pitched scream, Hermione bolts out the room leaving behind a clean, normal, empty room.

Reaching the stairs, she tries to scrabble down them at full speed, but she slips up and down the remain 36 steps she goes. With a thud, bang, snap, and crack Hermione lands on the common room floor unconscious and broken.


End file.
